Polovica, tretjina, dvojno: fractions, multiples — and the dual when two are compared
The quantity unit hands you three different tools that must not be confused: a fraction, a multiple, a difference. And here resurfaces what the course warned about from the first lesson: the moment speech is about two, the dual switches on. For example: “Tretjina razreda je bila bolna, polovica pa na izletu” — A third of the class was sick, and half was on a trip. A rule from the Slovenian course: worked out on…
How it works
The quantity unit hands you three different tools that must not be confused: a fraction, a multiple, a difference. And here resurfaces what the course warned about from the first lesson: the moment speech is about two, the dual switches on.
A fraction. Built from the ordinal numeral with the suffix -ina: polovica (a half, a word of its own), tretjina, četrtina, petina, desetina. All feminine, and after them — the genitive: tretjina ljudi, petina plače. The verb with such a group stands in the singular feminine: Tretjina razreda je bila bolna.
A multiple. Two ways. Adverbs in -krat: dvakrat, trikrat, desetkrat — the liveliest: dvakrat več, trikrat manj. And the bookish adverbs dvojno, trojno: dvojno plačilo. English 'twice as much' and 'double pay' cover both.
A difference. The preposition za with the accusative: za tretjino več, za polovico manj, za deset odstotkov dražji. Do not mix it up with multiples: dvakrat manj is 'twice as small' — half the size; za dva manj is 'less by two'.
One and a half. There is no separate word: ena in pol, and with a noun pol steps back — uro in pol, leto in pol, kilogram in pol. It is the only compound numeral of the wave.
And now the dual. Comparisons are most often between two, and then the whole sentence changes shape: Brata zaslužita enako (the two brothers earn the same), Sestri sta si razdelili na enake dele (the two sisters split it evenly), Porabita večkrat manj kot midva. The card with enakovredno or na enake dele gives you the adverb — but the verb next to it you will have to put into the dual yourself: the ending -ta / -va in the present, -la plus sta in the past.
And the most frequent place you hear it: Oba — both (m.), obe — both (f.), midva — we two, vidva — you two. The moment oba appears in the sentence, everything else has to agree.
Table
| what we express | how | example | the English |
|---|---|---|---|
| a fraction | -ina + the genitive | tretjina ljudi | a third of the people |
| a fraction | a word of its own | polovica zneska | half the amount |
| a multiple | -krat | trikrat manj | three times less |
| a multiple | a bookish adverb | dvojno plačilo | double pay |
| a difference | za + the accusative | za tretjino več | a third more |
| one and a half | compound | uro in pol | an hour and a half |
| two do it | the dual, -ta | zaslužita enako | they earn on equal terms |
| two did it | sta + -la | razdelila sta si | the two of them split it |
By example
- Tretjina razreda je bila bolna, polovica pa na izletuA third of the class was sick, and half was on a trip
- Brata zaslužita prav toliko in si delita stroške na enake deleThe two brothers earn exactly the same and share the costs evenly
- Nova naprava porabi dvakrat manj, stara pa je stala za tretjino večThe new device uses twice as little, and the old one cost a third more
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Polovica, tretjina, dvojno: how does it work in Slovenian?
The quantity unit hands you three different tools that must not be confused: a fraction, a multiple, a difference. And here resurfaces what the course warned about from the first lesson: the moment speech is about two, the dual switches on.
What does it look like in an example sentence Slovenian?
“Tretjina razreda je bila bolna, polovica pa na izletu” — A third of the class was sick, and half was on a trip. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.